View full sizeA satirical photograph appearing on the website of the Alabama Democratic Party shows how the oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico has become a partisan topic. After the Deepwater Horizon spill, Democrats in the state have been quick to jump on Republicans for pro-drilling platforms.MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- The state Democratic Party sharply criticized Alabama Republicans, including state Supreme Court justices and Gov. Bob Riley, for favoring oil drilling and oil companies, in a news release sent today.

"The Alabama GOP adopted the 'Drill, baby, drill!' motto without hesitation at the Republican National Convention in 2008, consequences be damned," the Democratic Party said in an e-mail. "Even Republican Governor Bob Riley said in 2008 press release, 'We need to drill and we need to do it now.'"

In response, the state Republican Party said the news release was an attempt "to politicize a national tragedy."

"The Democrats might want to reflect on the fact that workers on that oil rig lost their lives, and many more will suffer because of the negative impact on the environment and industry," GOP spokesman Philip Bryan said in an e-mail.

"The Alabama Republican Party offers our thoughts and prayers to the families of those who lost their lives as a result of this tragedy, and support the men and women who are working tirelessly during the clean up effort," the e-mail continued.

Alabama's Republican Supreme Court justices were the main targets of the Democrats' criticism. The mostly Republican court has overturned billion-dollar verdicts against Exxon Mobil in recent years, and unless Democrats are elected to replace them, the court will likely let BP off the hook for its oil spill, the release said.

Three Alabama Supreme Court seats are on the ballot this year. Primaries are June 1, with the general election scheduled Nov. 2.

"The only way for Alabamians to receive economic justice from this environmental calamity washing upon our shores this weekend is for voters to elect impartial justices that are unafraid to uphold a jury's punitive damage verdicts when the evidence and law so requires," the release said. "Alabama's Republican Justices never have, and never will."

On its Web site, the Democratic Party has posted a picture with a building labeled "Alabama Supreme Court" sitting on top of an oil rig.

Meanwhile, Republican U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama announced today that he will hold a news conference with Sen. George LeMieux, R-Fla., at 2:30 p.m. Monday at the International Trade Center in Mobile.

Sessions' office said the purpose of the news conference is to comment on response efforts related to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and to share the senator's observations following a command briefing and a flyover inspection of the spill impact area.

Jimmy Lyons, director and CEO for the Alabama State Port Authority, also is scheduled to be at the news conference.

(Updated 5:31 p.m. to include mention of LeMieux's presence at news conference.)